The Bistros of Helsinki
I'm not entirely sure why I chose Helsinki. I had a little time off from work and could only squeeze in a week in Europe, it was towards the end of shoulder season and to take the break, I wanted an easy flight connection that wouldn't eat too much into my time.
I found an unbeatable fare flying Qatar Airways in their wonderful Q-Suites from Singapore to Doha, then after a couple of hours in the grand Al Mourjan Lounge at Abu Dhabi Airport, I transferred to Finnair to try their new Business Class Air-Loungers. These two airline experiences were a fabulous beginning to my quick Scandinavian sojourn.
I found an unbeatable fare flying Qatar Airways in their wonderful Q-Suites from Singapore to Doha, then after a couple of hours in the grand Al Mourjan Lounge at Abu Dhabi Airport, I transferred to Finnair to try their new Business Class Air-Loungers. These two airline experiences were a fabulous beginning to my quick Scandinavian sojourn.
I barely had time to research Helsinki. Of all the Scandinavian cities, at first it didn’t sound as if there was a great deal to do. That appealed to me though, as it's very rare I have time in a city with no agenda. Just prior to my flight, up popped an article in the New York Times travel section, 36 Hours In Helsinki, which instilled a little more faith in my chosen destination.
I ended up spending 7 days in the city. It was a week full of surprise at a pace that seemed to be quite natural for the city. My eyes were opened in many ways. I left Helsinki (reluctantly) and envious of a singular food scene that made so much sense. I envisioned myself easily adapting to the lifestyle.
What I found was a thriving food community and eateries that effortlessly wove their way into the fabric of the city. Helsinki has so many wonderful choices it is beguiling. In a city of 865,000 people, I was so surprised at the volume of eateries and the leisurely aspect they presented with an absolute ease of sophistication. After a week of eating in a different restaurant once, sometimes twice a day, I really began to understand the ethos of eating in Helsinki and how the rhythm flowed so effortlessly.
In the week leading up to my visit, I researched a few spots that seemed would fit the bill of experiencing Finnish cuisine without too much fuss. I really wanted to eat beloved local dishes in comfortable, smaller eateries as well as witness innovative cooking that never strayed too far from the essence of what the country is known for.
In Helsinki, like any other city, you'll find a proliferation of European comfort foods - pizza, pasta, burgers. There is no escaping that. But the REAL Helsinki is all about Bistros. Bistros are comfortable for everyone. They cover a range of dishes and prices and operate with no rigidity. Flexible for one and all. One aspect I loved about the Helsinki bistro operations was the ease in which they were adaptable to the diner.
Most bistros operate with set course menus. This is always a cost-effective way of eating, thus its popularity. In Helsinki however, there were many set menus in each bistro where one can mix and match and adapt to your preference. I encountered many occasions where dishes could be swapped out, portions could be reduced, even tasting in advance is possible in some instances.
Lunchtime in Helsinki, is a revelation. No taking away and racing back to the office here. It seemed to me that just about everyone goes out to lunch, and not for a quick burger. They go to the bistros and steakhouses in sizaeble groups, either with colleagues or joining friends at table. And they drink wine, several glasses quite the norm. There seems no rush to race back to the workspace. My observation of lunchtime was one of ease and calm.
Dinner in the bistros is even more convivial. I tend to dine at a reasonably early hour, no matter where I am in the world, with the exception of Spain and such Mediterranean countries where I would be a lonely diner eating any time before 10pm. Helsinki diners spread their time to dine over a wide period, starting around 6.30pm, with tables turning over often more than once. The rigid timeframes of how long you can stay before moving on were not so evident here.
Many times, I was the only foreigner in the bistros and wine bars. No matter where I dined or drank, locals were predominant throughout the week.
Wine is fabulous in Helsinki's eateries. I was bowled over by the quality of the bottles on offer and by the volume of excellent wines by the glass. The ingenoius Finland-only way of drinking by the glass is to choose 3 sizes, each level of which is engraved onto every glass in the land. Would you like 12, 16, or 24? I was always asked. The equivalent of 120ml, 160ml or 240ml, I repeatedly asked, "Does everyone go for 16?" the reply, each and every time was "Everyone!"
Observing the goings-on at each lunch and dinner, as I always do, I noted just how prevalent wine drinking is. Almost every diner at every table. And there was a clear knowledge and appreciation of wine, as an essential accompaniment to a meal. Excess was never on display. Simple and sophisticated. It is just the way it is done.
I pondered why so many remarkable wines were on offer by the glass. I’m talking some of the old-world greats, so rare to see on by the glass lists in the West. I would say that wine lists in Helsinki are certainly amongst the best I have seen in all of Europe. It would no doubt help that traditionally made wine is almost impossible to make in Finland due to the unforgiving climate. The Finns would have had no choice but to adopt the wines of the world. They have a hunger for them which I found immensely pleasing.
Populating the bistros and wine bars opened my eyes to what is wrong with dining in so many busier Western and European destinations. What was so noticeable in Helsinki was the total lack of distraction. It was extremely rare to see a cell phone out, either being checked or used. And I cannot count a single occasion where I saw the food being photographed. This applied to me as well, I followed suit, thus the lack of food pics in this article from the bistros I frequented.
It was like dining out 20 years ago, but in a thoroughly modern setting. Just fine food and above all, fine company in a neighborhood bistro where full focus was just that. Fine friends gathering for an excellent meal and 100% engaging with each other.
Which brings me to that statement so often mentioned and studied. That the Finns are the happiest people in the world. I have no idea how this is measured, but from what I saw in my one week in this lovely city, I would not argue the point. Human connection at its best and on visible display each and every day.
Due to the average Finns clear love of the grape, there are a proliferation of excellent, atmospheric wine bars throughout the capital. And what I loved most is how focused they were. There is no mistaking the wine bars in Finland for a restaurant. They are clearly wine forward, wine first, that is the driver. The food is an accompaniment. The wine is paramount. Wine is usually presented as a rotating, changeable list, small in number but very high in quality, with food perfectly matched to each style.
I had a perfect wine bar experience at APOTEK, one of the cities most popular and well-known wine haunts. In what used to be a turn of the century pharmacy, the owners have embraced the theme with the retention of carved shelves, medicinal bottles, a curved wooden counter all harking back to its past. Apotek drips with atmosphere, the convivial French / Finnish owner very happy to guide you through verious glassses that match a perfect cheese plate of lesser-known gems and top-notch charcuterie that helps make each wine sing.
Apotek wine bar.
Inside Apotek.
Again, stress just seems invisible in Helsinki. Even in busy bistros and wine bars, it is as if everyone is a friend, the pacing perfect and honestly, you just do not want to leave. There is a magical formula here that has just naturally evolved. Everything hums along so well an so consistently.
Back to the bistros, I need to let you know which ones I dined at and which you really must consider if you are ever in town. These stood out as perfect examples of what can be achieved when everything aligns. Absolute models of the pure bistro experience. Three bistros really defined my dining in the city. Each of them delivered such a fine experience that I thought about them for days. In no particular order of preference, I absolutely recommend these to you.
RESTAURANT PLEIN was my first dinner in the capital. Although called a restaurant, this is more bistro in concept, but with an elevated food offering that places it firmly as fine dining on the plate, bistro by place.
Set just out of the city centre, Plein is by all counts a neighborhood bistro, frequented mostly by locals. In a slightly quirky, cozy space. Small and unassuming, Plein's simple concept shines through a laser focus on it's seasonal produce and fine technique, with some truly surprising and masterful creations. Just four courses in a set menu for everyone with optional add-ons, the dishes read quite simply on menu, but all are exceptionally considered dishes.
Restaurant Plein.
The operation runs seamlessly. Cool, smooth servers, clearly as proud as the chefs to be bringing such great flavours that speak of the season to diners. Helmed by two owner chefs with great skill in producing small dishes that satisfy through clever composition and above all, masterful flavour. Working in unison in the tiniest of kitchens, I had full view, and it was the finest display of being right in the zone. They took turns in delivering each dish to me, with a confident explanation proudly from the heart.
Dishes here are so well executed that each one seems to have a natural flow from the previous. One dish managed to make me catch my breath. A small log of crisp fried potato with an emulsion of Brillat Savarin and fish roe, warm and delicious, then with the added twist of cool mustard ice cream. An absolutely sensational combination.
A well thought out list of wines are on offer as well as a paring, many leaning natural, but in the best way, not the experimental kind that can alienate through lack of identifiable flavours and textures. Full of happy locals, it's a special place. I'd dine at Restaurant Plein again in a heartbeat. It has a Michelin star, and that is something they understate, how wonderful. Restaurant Plein reaches high and achieves it in spades, yet remains casual and comfortable for all. It's my definition of dining perfection.
On another cold evening, I made my way across the pier to RESTAURANT KUURNA, set in an old sandstone building, it's small dining room split into two sections, both dripping with atmosphere, lit by candles and setting the scene for some of the finest dishes I've experienced since...well...since Restaurant Plein ;)
Kuurna is headed by revered local owner and chef, Tom Hansen, who creates the magic along with a small team in another impossibly small kitchen. The menu here changes every three weeks, showcasing the best of the seasons, the selection small but well considered enough so there is something to suit everyone.
Kuurna is also called a restaurant, but it knows exactly what it is. It readily states that it is a “hidden bistro gem”. This description falls within their philosophy. It's an intimate bistro offering refined fare from all over Europe. The menu is limited, and this formula seems to be what works best in Helsinki's bistros. One can choose between 3 starters, 3 mains and 3 desserts, with the ability to mix and match how you please.
Since my visit the menu has changed, but I was told by my friendly server that there is one dish that can never leave the menu due to its constant popularity. “Kuurna's Classic Pepper Steak, season's vegetables”. If that sounds rather ordinary to you, fear not. And classic is not a word to be used lightly. Use it and you'd better deliver. And boy oh boy, did it ever. The best Pepper Steak I have ever had.
What made it so great? Apart from the quality and the tenderness of the steak, it was the sauce. Never before have I had such perfect balance. What really nailed this for me was the subtlety of the pepper in the delicate sauce. I was amazed as the pepper did not present itself until the middle palate. When combined with the meat, the pepper brought out the flavour of the meat in a perfect marriage. Honestly, however this has been achieved, this rewrites the book on the dish. Usually, pepper can be too pronounced when added to the sauce. Not here. This is the most sublime version of the classic dish, one not easily found in Helsinki. It is absolutely superb.
The world’s best pepper steak, at Kuurna.
Once again, the warmth and friendliness of the service at Kuurna made dining there a joy. Food, service and atmosphere all kicking the highest of goals.
To my third entry in the Helsinki Bistro Hits, Restaurant NOLLA. This is one of the most popular eateries in town, with a slightly eclectic and innovative menu that brings in regulars and food lovers wishing to get a touch of modern Finnish cuisine blended with the best of broader European.
This is Finland’s very first zero-waste restaurants, and its philosophy is similar again. Here you can enjoy the set menu to get the best of the nose-to-tail finish ingredients as well as choose a la carte. Local and organic products feature, with the season's finest ingredients highlighted in combination with European influences from the founder trio’s roots. Luka Balac is from Serbia, Albert Franch Sunyer from Spain and Carlos Henriques from Portugal.
In a more classical Bistro space with warm timbers and scandinavian wood and leather detail chairs on a geometric tiled floor, Nolla presents a 4 or 5 course chef's choice menu that can be customised as you require. This flexibility is what makes the bistros here really shine. There is a marvelous two-way respect between staff and diners.
Dishes are interesting and certainly more experimental and less classical. Fish is dominant, the ever-present perch or pike front and centre. There is more of an emphasis on creamy sauces here, and perhaps that is my only negative. If that's your thing, you'll love it!
Dishes are sensibly sized and they are explained by your servers with the confidence you come to expect in the city. A bold Reindeer Tartar with chantarelles and black walnut cream stood out with an abundance of flavours and the Grilled Perch with charred leeks, smoked roe and Brown Butter Sauce a powerful dish, if a little rich.
Nolla suceeds as it feels like an event. It's a special place to dine with a buzz and a hum that glides you through an evening. With the unusual but ultimately successful, expertly cooked food, its popularity is well deserved.
Experiencing Helsinki’s dining scene made me consider what really constitutes a bistro. The term is so loosely used now, with many pubs claiming their dining rooms are bistros. The word bistro means exactly this: "a small, relatively simple restaurant, one offering French or French-style food. A bistro offers a more relaxed setting for dining" This dictionary definition, is mostly accurate, with the French style food on display but now open to a mix of other influences of International cuisine.
Helsinki's bistros and wine bars live up to the true interpretation of the title and go beyond, to offer a perfectly pitched dining experience that effortlessly caters to all. Some commonalities are a menu that changes every few weeks or a couple of times per season, seasonal dishes using the countries finest, ethically grown produce, an optional set menu that reflects the best of that day's menu, expertly selected wines that match the food with aplomb, and a casual but still refined atmosphere that comforts one and all.
The youthful energy exuding from the teams I encountered is admirable and intoxicating. There is the feeling that everyone is loving what they do and that it’s a pleasure to be interacting with diners. It's that happiness. It struck me at every turn during my week there. I won't deny my surprise that I loved the food in the city so much. I would even say that after my short week there, I would place dining in the city as easily one of the best scenes in Europe.
I may be late to the Helsinki party, but boy I'm glad I made it. For those of you who have yet to do so, if you love food in a perfect atmosphere with style, ease and a warm welcome, make your way to this wonderful city. You will be ever so pleased that you did.